1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to perform presence service in a wireless communication system that is available to a mobile device.
2. Related Art
The demand for wireless communications has enjoyed tremendous growth over recent years and indeed, wireless communication technology is used every day by millions around the world to send, receive, and exchange information using pagers, cellular telephones, wireless personal digital assistants, and other wireless communication products. Recently, the revolution in wireless communication technologies has carried over to business and personal computing. Wireless communication technology now permits computer users to access and share information and data, without being tethered by wire to a computer network infrastructure traditionally used to connect computing devices.
Owing to the increased availability of wireless networks, laptop and notebook computer users are able to perform their tasks with increased mobility. For example, a user can take his or her laptop from their desk into a conference room to attend a meeting and still have access to the network to retrieve data and have access to the Internet via one or more modems or gateways present on the network all without being tethered by a wired connection. Similarly, mobile computer users and business travelers commonly use their portable computers to gain access to their email accounts, to determine if there is any unread email, and to read and send email. Still further, being able to connect to the Internet permits the user to perform these tasks and others without having to suffer through the lackluster performance provided by conventional 56 K modem connections which use the telephone network to establish communications. Indeed, high speed Internet access via a WAP is highly desirable when considered vis-a-vis a connection made via use of a conventional 56 K modem. Thus, as more and more laptop and notebook computers are being equipped with integrated wireless network adapters, the implementation of wireless LANs in the business environment, and even within residences, is surely to expand.
A further expansion of the use of wireless computer networks now permits laptop and notebook computer users to use their portable computing devices to access public and private computer networks at locations away from their own office or home networks. Internet service providers, telecommunications companies, and wireless network providers have begun to install WAPs in locations such as airport lounges, hotel lobbies, and coffee bars. WAPs are being established at these and other public locations where business travelers and general computer users often congregate. These types of public WAPs are typically referred to as “hotspots.” A typical hotspot permits a wireless computer user to gain access to a computer network via a wireless connection created between the wireless network adapter in the user's computer and the public WAP. The hotspot WAP permits the user to gain access to an IP address associated with a modem or gateway to enable the computer user to access the Internet and, potentially, other local network resources, such as printers, which are associated with the hotspot.